Mahala Rai Banda’s Debut American Tour, with Stops in NYC’s SummerStage, Chicago World Fest & much more


Making its US debut, the wild, eleven-member Roma (Gypsy) band Mahala Rai Banda is comprised of the crème de la crème of musicians from the famed Clejani and Zece Prajini Romanian villages, home of Taraf de Haidouks and Fanfara Ciocarlia respectively. Combining power and finesse, groove and virtuosity, the group’s music is where Balkan brass meets sizzling strings for up-tempo, catchy melodies propelled along by funky brass riffs, accordion and cimbalom.

They are the main attraction of the September 26 BLACK SEA ROMA FESTIVAL concert at NYC’s SummerStage in Central Park, organized by the Center for Traditional Music & Dance, World Music Institute and NY Gypsy Festival with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York and the Trust for Mutual Understanding.

Their SummerStage concert in New York City is just one stop on their long North American tour, presented by the NY Gypsy Festival, with support from the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York. Other stops include World Festivals in Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison and Toronto, and Pop Montreal, as well as concerts at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta, GA, Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis, MN, Legion Arts, Cedar Rapids, IA.


Mahala Rai Banda is: Cristinel Cantea, trumpet; Viorel Oprică, trumpet; Cristinel Mihai, saxophone/clarinet; Marian Zahanagiu, trombone; Andrei Trifan, tenor horn; Aurel Bosnea, baritone horn; Georgel Cantea, tuba; Marian Dinu, percussion; Florinel Ioniţă, accordion; Aurel Ioniţă, violin; Manole Nicuşor, vocals.